High Levels of Flame Retardants Found in Dogs

Researchers at Indiana University have found flame retardants in the blood of pet dogs at levels five to ten times higher than typically found in humans. Could dogs be the canary in the coal mine for how accumulating polybrominated flame retardants will affect humans? We already know that polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PDBEs for short) are found everywhere -- they are used in everything from computers to carpeting, and can be measured even in the dust bunnies that gather in the corners of our living spaces. What PBDEs do to us is scary enough that these persistant, bioaccumulating chemicals are being phased out*. This is where the two most interesting aspects of the Indiana University study arise. First, the scientists found that the level of PBDEs building up in dog's blood serum is lower than found in cats, where PBDE exposure has even been linked to cat death . This pr...